Efforts to strike out hunger hit a home run

Riverview Medical Center team members, from left, Liz Mocadlo, Barb Peeters and Sherry Evenson work together Monday on building a bitten apple out of canned goods during the South Wood County Hunger Coalition’s second annual United We Can event. The theme was “Strike Out Hunger,” as the event preceded Monday’s Wisconsin Rapids Rafters game. Visit www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com for a video and gallery on the event.
(Photo:
CASEY LAKE/DAILY TRIBUNE MEDIA
)Buy Photo

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – There was a lot of competition Monday at Witter Field — but much of it happened under the bleachers long before the Rafters took on the La Crosse Loggers.

Fourteen teams created sculptures out of nonperishable food items as part of the second annual South Wood County Hunger Coalition’s United We Can event, geared to bring awareness to the hunger problems in south Wood County and to garner donations for local food programs. The event is an initiative of United Way of Inner Wisconsin.

There was no lack of creativity — or healthy competition as trucks and vans were unloaded, building plans followed and structures started to grow and take shape — all before noon.

Thousands upon thousands of nonperishable items were carefully placed in predetermined spots by the 14 teams. Most teams were very strategic, getting monetary donations and purchasing specific items to fit their plan.

“Next year, I think you guys should do a Ferris wheel with moving parts,” said Dana Schwartzman, a technical service representative with ERCO Worldwide. She might have only been half joking as she watched her team construct a waving American flag — visible from front and back.

While the main competition was to beat hunger, teams also competed for prizes. Judges determined winners of “Most nutritious,” and “Most creative,” while fans at the game voted for the winner of the “Community Choice Award.”

“We tried to cover all three,” said Chris Spranger, director of Lean Six Sigma for Riverview Medical Center.

The team created an apple with a bite taken out of it using almost 1,300 canned goods, color-coded to represent different food groups. They expertly dismantled the huge apple inside the hospital lobby (something they’d practiced a few times) and rebuilt it under the bleachers — only after Spranger and Don Smith, also with Lean Sigma Six, used a water bottle to determine the most level spot.

“This is definitely a worthwhile cause,” said Liz Mocadlo, director of nutritional services at the hospital. “No one should be hungry in the (United States).

“Hunger is a passion of mine,” said Mocadlo, who added Riverview does two food drives each year. “This (event) just ties in with that.”

A few spots down, Paper City Savings was feeling pretty comfortable outside of the house they built — and financed. Tina Bartram, an employee with the financial institution, joked they planned on applying for a construction loan if they didn’t have enough products to complete the home, which featured a white fence (boxes of pasta), manicured lawn (cans of green vegetables) and shingled roof (macaroni and cheese).

Tari Jahns, chief executive officer of the United Way of Inner Wisconsin, was pleased with the participation — eight more than last year — and amount of donations.

“We have houses, we have logos, we have the ballpark, we have a ballplayer, apple,” she said. “There’s just a lot of really, really, great, creative ideas.

“What’s really important about that is that so many organizations and businesses in our community really care about hunger and food insecurity issues in our community,” Jahns said.

About 7,000 products will go to food programs in the community.

“We really thank our community for getting behind this event and hope it grows for the future,” Jahns said.

Deb Cleworth can be reached at 715-423-7200, ext. 6730 or deb.cleworth@cwnews.net.